High-Performance Building Summer Program

Immersive 3-Week Summer Program for 2023

Learn how high-performance building design and construction principles contribute to a more sustainable, more efficient, and healthier built environment.

Dates: June 4–24, 2023
Times: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.– 2:00 p.m.
Location: Penn State Center Pittsburgh, Energy Innovation Center, 1435 Bedford Ave, Pittsburgh, PA

First- and second-year Penn State students are invited to spend three weeks in Pittsburgh for a cross-cultural educational program with students from Northern Ireland. Through a combination of lectures from high-performance building experts, hands-on activities, and site visits, students will learn the latest in high-performance building design. They will better understand how these design and construction principles make buildings more sustainable, more efficient, and healthier for people and how to help tackle the built environment’s significant contribution to climate change. Upon completion of the camp, attendees will be primed for future Passive House certification. This program is a joint initiative of the Penn State Global Building Network, Penn State Center Pittsburgh, and Northern Ireland’s South West College.

Is This Program Right for You?

Are you a first- or second-year architecture or engineering student?
Are you curious about high-performance building standards and features?
Are you interested in exploring Pittsburgh?
Do you want a cultural experience with instructors and students from Northern Ireland?

Summer Program Includes:

In-class and hands-on instruction at the Energy Innovation Center
Living in and exploring Pittsburgh
Breakfast and lunch on program days
Touring local high-performance buildings
Preparation for future Passive House professional certification

Location

Students will live and learn in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh, taking classes at the LEED Platinum Energy Innovation Center and touring local high-performance buildings and sites. Field trips include: Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob, Phipps Center for Sustainable Landscapes, Frick Environmental Center, Tree Pittsburgh, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh MuseumLab, and more.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided as part of the program, and students will have ample time to explore all that the city has to offer. Penn State students also have the option of living at Penn Commons, alongside students from South West College. Contact us for more details and costs.

Cost

$1,200 (includes breakfast and lunch Monday–Friday, PRT Transit pass, and field trips)

Application Deadline: March 31, 2023

Acceptance to the Program: If you are accepted into the program, your registration and full payment is due no later than Friday, April 14.

Apply Now

Last Year’s Program Highlights

Students bring international focus to Pittsburgh’s high-performance buildings

Last summer, students from South West College, Northern Ireland, joined Penn State students in Pittsburgh to learn best practices in energy efficient design during the High-Performance Building Summer Camp. Read more about last year’s experience

HPB Students group picture on green roof of EIC

Instructor with a group of students inside a high performance building lobby

Students sitting inside a high performance building with an instructor

Students sitting around a table working on a project

Student Application

Application Deadline: March 31, 2023

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First Name*

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What are your interests in high-performance buildings?*

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What interests you most about this program?*

Briefly share what interests you most about the 2023 High-Performance Building Summer Program.

How will you embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) during your time in this program?*

Per the Penn State Statement on DEI (open in new tab), Penn State is "committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability in all of its forms."

Program Requirements*

If selected for this program, I agree to:

- Complete registration and submit $1,200 payment no later than Friday, April 14, to secure my spot in the program
- Secure my own housing for the duration of the program (housing is not provided, but Penn State Center Pittsburgh recommends student housing at Penn Commons)
- Attend a one-hour Zoom orientation meeting on date to be determined
- Attend the full duration of the program (June 4–24, Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. + optional outings)

I agree to the program requirements

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